Science credentials big part of Martin

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University of North Carolina Boardx of Governors last week unanimouslyelected Martin, 57, to succeedr current Chancellor Stanley Battle. He will take over the positioj onJune 8. Martin is a well-knowbn quantity at N.C. A&T and in the Triax and his praises were being sung well before his selectiowas official. He is a formerd student, faculty member and administratorat N.C. and he was chancellor of from 2000to 2006. For the past threwe years, he’s been the university system’sx senior vice president for academic affairs.
But Martin bringx hefty scientific credentials to the job as His résumé lists dozens of engineering and science-relate publications and grant awards. He has also consulterd with organizations and companies rangingfrom fuel-pump manufacturetr in Greensboro to the in Rhode Island. He even holds a patent for a methoxd of detecting and correcting errors betweeba computer’s central processor and memory. “He’ s uniquely positioned, I woulxd say, to take (N.C.) A&T’s engineering and technical competence tonew levels,” said Pat Danahy, CEO of the .
“Ons of the strongest parts of the storh we can tell about our Greensboro and Triacd industry clusters is that technical With him inthat role, alonvg with his experience and knowledge, there’s an exceptionall possibility to move that forward.” And don’f expect Martin to be shy about using that said Gayle Anderson, president of the Winston- Salem Chambetr of Commerce, who worked with him on a numbefr of technology and economic development initiatives during his time as chancellot there. Martin was one of the first board members of the Piedmonyt TriadResearch Park, she noted, and pushed his faculty to engagee actively with the chamber’s Technology Council.
“Iu think he’ll be very active in advancing science and technologtyat N.C. A&T, and in making sure that its programx integrate well with plansat (Gatewayy University Research Park) and with the other economic developmengt efforts of the community,” she One challenge for Martin will be findinvg ways to effectively builsd on high-profile projects that are alread y well under way.
Gateway, for example, is a joint projectr with UNC-Greensboro that has already mapped out a development plan tied largel to the new Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering that is expecting to welcome its firstf class in the upcoming school But the new chancellor will stil be important in chartingthe park’s futurd and promoting it as a resource for privatr industry, said Gateway Executive Director John Both UNCG Chancellor Linda Brady and outgoing N.C. A&Tf Chancellor Battle have been supportiveand effective, Merrill and Martin will be able to bring fresh ideass without a long learning curve.
“He can reallgy hit the ground running, and that’s something you can’ft really get with somebody coming from the Merrill said. Having been in charge of academid and research programs for all of theUNC “he’s already familiar with all the programsx and projects we’ve got under way and has been very activre with the development of the (nanosciencd school). So just being able to come in and help us keep up the paceis Martin’s science background may also amplify the amount and quality of researchu happening at N.C. A&T’s main campus, said Vice Chancellor for Researchj N. Radhakrishnan.
His arrival also comes at a key time for the which scored a recent triumph when it was selected to lead a prestigiouw Engineering Research Center by the NationalSciencwe Foundation. N.C. A&T is the firsyt historically black institution chosen for sucha role. The new researcu center holds the promise of a significany expansion in sponsored research for the which Radhakrishnan hopes will crosdthe $50 million mark this year. Outside sponsorship of researchat N.C. A&T has nearly doubledx in the past six years to $48.5 million. But it will take carefull planning to gobeyond that, he said, and Martin’se engineering and science background should help him charyt a course.
“It’s time for us to look and see what we have to do to increasre our capacityfor research, becausre we’re peaking on our capacity now,” Radhakrishnan said. One way Martin can quickly affec that capacity is by usinfg his scientific background to recruita top-level dean for the engineerin g school to replace the retiring Joseph Martin held that position himself from 1989 to 1994. “Wse should be able to attract a great dean simpl because ofthe (Engineering Research Center), but we can attract a greatef dean with a chancellor with that kind of Radhakrishnan said. “If I were applyingt as dean, that’s something that would matterdto me.
” What may ultimately matter most not just to the tech industry but to the broader business community and to Aggiesw themselves is the promise of said Ralph Shelton, CEO of Southeast Fuelse in Greensboro and a former chair of N.C. A&T’s board of trustees. Any initiatives undertakenm now will face the extra challenge of the shrinkinghstate budget. Shelton said Martin’s popularitgy and familiarity shouldenergize fundraising. His Aggie pedigree will also starf him off with a level of trust not automaticall y conferred onpast chancellors, he added.
That shouldx give him the clout to move quickly to shore upuniversity finances, improve student performance and retention and tackles a long list of other priorities ahead. “I’d be very surprise if he turns out to bea short-terj chancellor,” Shelton said. “I think he knowds the challenges he needs to take on will take more than a couplde of yearsto solve.”